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As we move into a new year, millions of people across the country approach it with optimism and goals for self-improvement. Unfortunately, a lot of those dreams and goals are abandoned before the year ends. In fact, according to CBS News, 13% of people give up on their resolutions by the end of January. By the end of February, nearly 80% of people have called it quits.  

Don’t become a resolutions statistic. By making realistic goals that can be supported by healthy habits, you can be successful with your resolutions this year! Check out these effective steps to help you keep working toward your New Year’s resolutions deep into the year.  

Tips to help you stick with your New Year’s resolutions

Land on clear, measurable goals

Being vague with your goals sets you up for failure from the start. Goals like “getting healthy” or “start saving money” are too abstract to act on. Instead, according to Forbes, you should create clear goals with measurable targets. These types of goals help you change behavior, maintain focus and keep momentum through the process.  

So instead of “getting healthy,” a measurable goal might be “walk for 30 minutes four days a week. And in lieu of a blanket goal to “start saving money,” a measurable goal to “save $50 a week” is easier to track.  

Form habits 

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says lofty goals often fail because they’re not supported by sustainable, daily actions. On his website, Clear provides step-by-step instructions on how to create a good habit. Alternatively, if you have a bad habit you need to break, you can implement a process to get over that hurdle, too. 

Pair one habit with another

Dr. Brian Fogg, a behavior change expert at Stanford University, says if you have a habit already in force in your daily life that you plan to keep, attaching your new habit or goal to it can be beneficial. The method has been called “habit stacking.” 

So, if you check your email first thing every day, maybe you want to add a period of checking your personal budget after your inbox is clear. Or every time you let your dog out, maybe you incorporate some stretching exercise after that action. The idea is that you do these things each day, and adding your new goal to that trigger will help you make it part of your routine.  

Give yourself the right cue

Your home and workplace set up can influence your behavior more than you might realize. According to Psychology Today, our brains react to stimuli around us and that often leads to us making decisions without even really thinking about it.  

 
Use that human behavior tactic to your advantage! If you want to eat better, store healthier foods on the counter or at eye level in the refrigerator. If you want to read more, move your phone charger further away and keep a book within reach. You can do the same with bad habits by making them harder to access or by removing sources from your home entirely.  

Acquire an accountability partner

Don’t go it alone with your goals and aspirations. It’s easy to give up when no one else is in the loop. An accountability partner can provide the encouragement and support needed to keep going when things get tough. Duke Recreation & Physical Education, based out of Duke University, provides helpful insight on how to select an accountability partner and how to develop a plan for actionable feedback.  

Whether you have weekly check-ins with a partner or have a friend working toward the same goal, accountability can keep your momentum steady once the initial excitement fades.  

Conclusion

Make sure you celebrate your wins as you progress and don’t lose sight of why you chose that goal in the first place. This year, be one of the 20% of people who continue working on their self-improvement journey beyond February. If you implement these steps, you are more likely to see your New Year’s resolution come to fruition.  

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